Eurocode Smouldering Curve or Slow Heating Curve

The fire protection capabilities of intumescent products, the ratings of which were determined using tests based on the standard temperature-time curve, may be substantially reduced during a slow growing, or BS EN 1363-2-1999, fire. Current intumescent coating testing methods do not consider the effects of a slow heating fire and as such there is no performance data available for this type of scenario. Intumescent are reactive under the influence of heat and it is for this reason that slow heating fire is proposed. As fig, shows the temperature is slowly increased for approximately 21 minutes, which is followed by the addition of a further slow increase of temperature ( BS 1363-2).

The temperature-time curve, for slow heating fires, is defined by the following expression: